Monday, December 15, 2014

This is the book you want to get that special someone, who could use a gentle nudge and some friendly day-to-day hand-holding while transitioning fully to a healthful and delicious, whole-food, plant-based diet. In The Forks Over Knives Plan, husband and wife physician team Alona Pulde and Matthew Lederman meticulously lay out a step-by-step guide to the life-saving plan featured in the groundbreaking documentary, Forks Over Knives.

Part One explores the many benefits of adopting a whole-food, plant-based diet, and explains how and why it creates and supports vibrant health. Part Two outlines a comprehensive four-week plan and walks readers through each stage of the transition, including a pantry purge. Fear not, vegan friends, this is no slouch into vegan eating plan. This is eating healthfully and deliciously and regaining our health starting right now and being fully supported in the process. Culminating in
100 easy-to-prepare recipes by Del Sroufe and
Darshana Thacker and colorful eye-appealing photos by Tina Rupp, the journey
to delectable, whole-food, plant-based eating is made delightfully
simple and fun! From breakfast right through to after-dinner dessert, readers are treated to taste-tempting recipes like Multigrain Pancakes with Fresh Berries, Beets and Barley Salad, Polenta Curry, and Chocolate Raspberry Parfaits. Here are just a few of the dishes I made from the wonderful recipes in The Forks Over Knives Plan:

Potato-Vegetable Chowder—Who doesn't love a great chowder? This one is seasoned with thyme and is creamy, nurturing, and delicious.

Close your eyes, and imagine you are tasting a spoonful of this wonderfully warming soup.

The Penne with Tomato-Mushroom Cream Sauce was a snap to put together and oh, so delizioso!

This hearty Lentil-Vegetable Stew really hit the spot on one of the coldest days of season so far.

Winter squashes, such as acorn and butternut, can be tricky to work with because their
tough skin is hard to peel. Preparing squash this way -- stuffed with a savory
filling and roasted -- puts that sturdy shell to good use. The rice should be
quite moist after it cooks in step 3; it provides good contrast to the squash
and helps the stuffing mixture stay together without becoming chewy or dry
during baking. ~ Darshana Thacker

1. Cut each acorn squash in half through the stem. Trim
the stem and remove and discard the seeds (keep the skin on).

2. Bring a large saucepan or pot of water to a boil. Add the squash halves
and cook until the squash is slightly soft when pierced with a fork, 15 to 20
minutes. Remove from the water and drain well. Set aside until cool enough to
handle.

3. Meanwhile,
bring 1½ cups water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the wild rice medley and
cook, covered, over medium heat for 25 minutes. (Alternatively, follow the
cooking instructions on the rice package, using a bit more water than called
for so that the rice is moist after steaming.) Remove from the heat and set
aside.4. Use a
spoon to scoop out the inner edges of each cooled squash half to create a wider
and deeper hollow for the stuffing; leave about half of the squash flesh
attached to the peel. Reserve the scooped-out squash flesh for the stuffing.
Set the squash shells aside.5. Preheat
the oven to 350°F.6. In a
skillet with a lid, combine the vegetable broth, onion, garlic powder, ginger,
and rosemary. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to
medium and cook, covered, until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes,
stirring occasionally.7. Add
the carrot, cover, and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the bell pepper,
broccoli, cauliflower, black pepper, and salt to taste, cover, and cook until
the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes more.8. Add
the reserved squash flesh and wild rice. Use a wooden spoon to mix the stuffing
together; it should be a bit creamy. If all the liquid has dried up, add about
¼ cup broth or as much as is needed to make it slightly creamy. Taste and
adjust the seasoning. Remove from the heat.9. Arrange
the acorn squash shells on a baking sheet and divide the stuffing evenly among
them. Sprinkle the pine nuts on top.10. Bake
until the pine nuts are browned and the stuffing is heated through, about 20
minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for a few minutes before serving.
Serve hot.

NBN

Congratulations
to everyone involved with the creation of The Forks Over Knives Plan, which was recently
chosen as an Apple Best of 2014 selection!

The best review I've read for this book appears on The Forks Over Knives Plan Amazon page. Reader Lani Muelrath writes: "The new Forks Over Knives book is like a visit with the kind plant-based
doctor you wish you had. The doctor who is keenly interested in your
health and well-being, assumes you actually ARE interested in taking
practical steps – instead of pills – to be healthier. The doctor who
believes you do have the drive to make better choices. The doctor who
appeals to and honors your intelligence about it all." And in the words of T. Colin Campbell, PhD,author of The China Study, The Forks Over Knives Planis "a smart, user-friendly 'how-to' book on using whole, plant-based foods."Enter now to win a copy for yourself or someone you love by leaving a comment below, and then follow the Rafflecopter prompt to complete your entry.* Earn additional entries by following any of the other prompts in the Rafflecopter box. Good luck!

25 comments:

Oh dear, I know I should be thinking generous thoughts of giving and sharing, but I really want this book for myself! :-) We've been vegan since 2000, and have been learning and making the food part of our lifestyle healthier each year since then, especially after I attended Dr. McDougall's 10-Day Live-In Program in 2007 (I was diagnosed with MS in 1994). There are so many wonderful vegan cookbooks & blogs out there now, but so often they don't use very healthful ingredients and it can get tiresome having to make adjustments to most of the recipes. A cookbook like this one would be a refreshing addition to our collection, AND it would be a gratifying one to share with others (maybe I'd just keep the cookbook and share its results!)

I feel pretty comfortable with my whole foods plant-based diet, so I would probably read through the recipes for inspiration and then give it to my mom. She's always looking for new healthy recipes to make that will satisfy both hers and my dad's tastes.

I'd love to win this for myself and for my husband. I have around 80 pounds to lose (I'm very much a junk food vegan). We've just watched the movie, and we're trying to incorporate these principles, but we've had a lot of nights where we'll just do rice and beans with a veg on the side--not a lot of variety, so having an actual plan with recipes would be super helpful. I have the FOK on my Christmas wishlist, as well as the Engine 2 books and the China Study Cookbook. I think this is a fantastic lifestyle. Thanks! ~Cee~

I would love to give this book to some of my family members. It breaks my heart to know that many of their food choices have and do impact their health and well-being. Hopefully with a success, published book, they will take it to heart!

I'd love to win this for my whole family. We are all vegetarians, but have been trying to eat more vegan meals. We know it's better for us and the planet, but we're having a hard time transitioning. Thanks for doing the giveaway!

I've been doing a LOT of whole foods plant based cooking, and have been totally loving it. I've started cooking for my sister and my best friend, and I would love to be be able to pass a copy on to one of them.

I'd love to gift this to my daughter who is struggling with an eating disorder and other food related health issues. She needs recipes that are easy to prepare - these look delicious, nutritious and quick!